John Reinking - Grounded

Please join us for an evening with John Reinking, where he will discuss his work and process.

The work exhibited in “Grounded” spans a few years and explores the attributes, topography, history and geology of local clay and glaze.

John seeks to highlight the unique characteristics of each deposit of local material, manipulating its makeup as little as possible as to not camouflage the inherent beauty of this raw material.

These pieces also explore the science and chemistry of clay and glaze as it goes through incredibly intense conditions. These pieces have been fired for 7 days in the kiln, reaching temperatures of 2400 degrees, and have survived bearing beautiful marks of the flame and ash. In some cases these pieces have been partially buried under the ember-bed for the duration of their time within the kiln. The resulting glass drips, marks of proximity to other pieces, interaction of the color from the ash and glaze chemistry has resulted in these one of kind pieces.

John Reinking holds a BFA from Mason Gross, School of the Arts, Rutgers University and an MFA from Marywood University. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at Raritan Valley Community College and is the Ceramics Program Director for the Center for Contemporary Art in Bedminster, New Jersey.

John is heavily involved in the ceramics community and participates in many local and national exhibits each year. He has participated in almost 150 exhibitions in the last 20 years and his works can be found in many private and public collections. John is primarily a wood-fire potter and is the owner of “The Kilnyard” which he operates in Kingwood, NJ. Here, he provides artists with access to various workshops and multiple firing options including raku, soda, and a large anagama wood kiln.

John has been asked to present numerous workshops throughout his career, most notably, firing the historic anagama kiln at Peter’s Valley during the fall of 2025, and was a presenter at the annual NCECA conference in 2011. Other workshops focus on the history and cultivation of wild clay, found at various locations throughout New Jersey. John has also been published in international journals for his work regarding atmospheric firing. John is represented by the Peter’s Valley Craft Center in Layton, NJ, and Connexions Gallery in Easton, PA.